Come One at a Time

Legend of the Five Rings card from Lotus Edition, Fire & Shadow, Diamond Edition, Gold Edition, Celestial Edition 15th Anniversary, Ivory Edition, Onyx Edition, Shattered Empire, Hidden City, Wrath of the Emperor, Enemy of My Enemy, Drums of War, Promotional–Ivory

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Keywords

Terrain

Card Text

While there is exactly one defending Personality here, he has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Challenge a target enemy Personality. Destroy the loser" and each player has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Move home your target attacking Personality. Bow him as he moves."
Battle: Destroy a Terrain (if able). Put this Terrain into play. Take an additional action granted by it.

Focus Value

1

Legality

A Brother's Destiny (Ivory Edition), A Brother's Destiny (Twenty Festivals), Age of Enlightenment (Lotus), Four Winds (Gold), Hidden Emperor (Jade), Rain of Blood (Diamond), Shattered Empire, War of the Seals (Onyx Edition)

Erratum

Tech errata for clarity via Oracle.

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "Come One at a Time 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Battle: While there is exactly one defending Personality at this battlefield, each player may take the action, “Battle: Target an attacking unit you control. Move it home, bowed,” and the defending Personality may perform, “Battle: Target an opposing Personality. Issue him an unrefusable challenge.” This second action may be taken immediately (if legal). These actions may be used any number of times." [MRP, Drums of War, 22 May 2006] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 9
• Hida Technique will not allow the attacker to benefit from this card. [JA, April 2000] Rules Archive, August 18, 2007, p. 10

Rules Q&A

• Q: Here's the scenario: We are resolving BATTLE1 and as a defender's first BATTLE ACTION, my opponent plays "COME ONE AT A TIME". I'm aiming to cancel the whole Terrain itself with my KYUDEN IKOMA's REACTION Ability since accdg. to what i've understand that Terrains are BATTLE ACTIONS to(so it's legal to cancel that with K.IKOMA).
  Here's the question: 1. Does K.IKOMA cancels the whole Terrain Card? 2. Or K.IKOMA may only cancel the BATTLE ACTION granted by the card to "Issue a challenge"? If this one holds true then my opponent may play the BATTLE ACTION again that Issue a challenge leaving K.IKOMA's reaction useless. :) Thanks.
  A: You may do both, actually. But as you point out, canceling the second is useless. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 24 March 2004", 26 Mar 2004
• Q: On defense, I have random monk/shugenja blocking. They are the only defender. Opponent attacks with 3 units. My first action I play Come One At A Time. When I go to issue the first challenge, can I use Touching the Soul to have someone not at the battle issue the challenge?
  A: No. The action would not be legal if he were actually there. Jeff Alexander, "rules for 11 Feb. 2004", 12 Feb 2004
• Q: Should I place Kakita Masazumi as my only defender and then play Come One At A Time, would I be able to issue challenges until either Kakita dies, or all defenders are either defeated or routed?
  A: Yes (card text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 24 November 2003, Part 2", 25 Nov 2003
• Q: I am attacking with 3 high chi personalities vs a single defender. I play Come One at a Time. He decides not to duel me (wise). Can I still send my people home[?]
  A: Yes (Card text). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 19 November 2003, Part 2", 20 Nov 2003
• Q: The last part under Ranged Attacks is about multiple RA's from 1 action. How does that ruling relate to multiple duels from 1) Come One at a Time and 2) Heroic Sacrifice.
  A: You have to look for whether the card key for an action or a duel. Something that negated a duel would affect just one; cancelling an action would affect both (though if it was played for the second duel, it wouldn't undo the results of the first). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 12 October 2003", 12 Oct 2003
• Q: Can I still challenge even though I am bowed[?]
  A: No. Bowed Personalities cannot be targeted by your own actions or use abilities (Gold Edition rulebook, pg. 24, 46). Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 24 August 2003", 24 Aug 2003
• Q: can you not flee your own guy, because of that fact it says target monk or shugenja, then cancel a target action targeting the monk..... umm doesnt this contradict the fact that he is bowed and you are targeting him?
  A: No. Targeting occurs before bowing to pay costs. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 24 August 2003", 24 Aug 2003
• Q: For example, if I have 2 personalities defending and 1 has the void Tattoo, can I play Come One At A Time and issue duels with the person that doesn't have the Void Tattoo?
  A: No.
  If you need to know whether you have units in the battle -- a yes/no question between "zero" and "more than zero" -- then ignore the Void Tattoo units before answering. But only then. Come One At A Time needs you to have exactly one. That's not "zero" or "more than zero", so the Void Tattoo does not matter. Jeff Alexander, "post for 29 May 2003", 30 May 2003
• Q: Can the destruction be negated and the personality saved then? When its a cost (Goblin Warmonger, Come One at a Time) and the person was saved, the cost wouldnt be payed.
  A: If the destruction is not a cost, preventing the destruction will not cancel the action. Conversely, if it is, it will. As worded, the destruction is not a cost on Overwhelmed, so that's how I'm ruling. Jeff Alexander, "post for 10 September 2002", 11 Sep 2002
• Q: Hey guys, I was wondering, based on the gold wording of COaaT
  Come One at a Time 0G 1FV Immediate Terrain. Battle: While there is only one defending Personality, the Personality may, as a Battle action, issue an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality, and each player may, as a Battle action, send one of his or her bowed or unbowed attacking units home bowed. The defending Personality may take one such challenge action now."
  If a shugenja issued such a challenge it would be an innate ability, is this correct?
  A: It is not correct. The sole defender does not gain the ability. Jeff Alexander, "post for 26 August 2002", 27 Aug 2002
• Q: Again, you're WRONG! BWAHAHAHAHAAA!!! Come One at a Time DOES confer an ability - to the Defending Personality! So it would work AGAINST someone playing that Terrain. Heh. Just nit-picking.
  A: Based on the Gold Edition wording, I'd agree with this. Jeff Alexander, "post for 17 July 2002", 18 Jul 2002
• Q: If I play Come One At a Time, and you kill off my duelist, and I Sup. Tacs another unit into the battle, can that Personality start duels with the C1@AT?
  A: "While there is only one defending Personality..." Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Rules for 22 June 2002", 22 Jun 2002
• Q: So to summarize:
  Come One At A Time as an immediate terrain, gives the ability to all attackers to issues challenges,
  A: You mean "to send one of their attacking units home". Jeff Alexander, "post for 6 February 2002", 7 Feb 2002
• Q: A rules question about Come One at a Time:
  Player A attacks with three personalities to Province 1.
  Player B defends with one personality at Province 1.
  Player B's first battle action is to play C O @ a T .
  Player A doesn't destroy C O @ a T.
  A: Point: Player B could already have issued a challenge immediately after playing CO@aT, by that card's own wording. Player A's first chance to destroy the terrain with a Battle action normally doesn't happen until after one duel has been fought. Jeff Alexander, "post for 5 February 2002", 7 Feb 2002
• Q: Just one more thing about Shosuro Gardens: may it redirect the actions of a Come One at a Time? Is it considered an action card? And does it target?
  A: Come One At a Time is an Action card but it does not do the targeting itself. It gives all players actions which they can perform. Jeff Alexander, "post for 17 October 2001", 17 Oct 2001
• Q: Come One at a Time is still useful when a personality holding Kitsuki Kaagi's Journal is the sole defender, right?
  A: No. 'While there is only one defending personality' does not exclude the action from targeting that defending personality. Rule 3 only applies when an action affects more than one card. A single card cannot be all of a group. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 20th", 20 Jul 2001
• Q: 2) Soshi's Curse Reads, "Soshi's Curse 2G 2Fo Battle: Bow this Shugenja and destroy this Spell to "freeze" an opposing unit. The unit's controller cannot target cards in the unit with actions, and those cards cannot use abilities, until your next turn. Any player with only frozen units in his or her army is considered to have no units in the battle." [MRP, Gold Edition, 1 July 2001
  I'm attacking province A. The defender defends with one unit and one ally. I Soshi's Curse the ally. Does that mean the defender can now play Come One at a Time and get the benefits of it...AND still get the force of the defending ally?
  A: No. There are still two units there. It's just that the ally no longer satisfies the Rule of Relevance. Jeff Alexander, "replies to 1-2 July", 5 Jul 2001
• Q: Here is the text of the gold edition COAAT: Immediate Terrain Battle: While there is only one defending Personality, the Personality may, as a Battle action, issue an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality, and each player may, as a Battle action, send one of his or her bowed or unbowed attacking units home bowed. The defending Personality may take one such challenge now.
  1) Because of the wording, it seems as if a bowed defender can make the first challenge.
  A: Not true. It's still an action (and I could have sworn the new wording said so. Grr.) Jeff Alexander, "replies to 25 June", 5 Jul 2001
• Q: 2) Soshi's Curse
  I'm attacking province A. The defender defends with one unit and one ally. I Soshi's Curse the ally. Does that mean the defender can now play Come One at a Time and get the benefits of it...AND still get the force of the defending ally?
  A: Yes. That's what you get for using Soshi's Curse instead of Earthquake. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for July 3rd", 3 Jul 2001
• Q: 2.Come One at a Time. This can be played if there is more than one defender, it just has limited effect, correct?
  A: Correct. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 7 February 2001", 9 Feb 2001
• Q: I have two questions about this card.
  #1. Can this card be used against any duel, for example against a duel from Come One at a Time?
  A: Yes. This card actually works better outside of battle than in because you don't have any restriction on which unit makes the attack. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 16 January 2001", 19 Jan 2001
• Q: 1) If it hasn't been re-printed, it's NOT YET an MRP! Unless it has been officially given an ERRATA, you would go by the original printing.
  2) I don't have the original in front of me, so I'm not sure how this is different from the original wording and can make any difference.
  ************
  The difference, according to Legendary, is small. The original printing gives the "send one of your units home" ability only to the attacker. The ruling gives it to both players. The ruling also specifically states that the units that go home do so bowed.
  A: The only big change is that the new wording incorporates the ruling that the challenges can only be issued, and units can only be sent home, while the Terrain is in play. The original version, as written, allowed challenges to be made for the rest of the turn, even if the Terrain was destroyed. There are other differences, but they're all rather subtle. Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 13 January 2001", 16 Jan 2001
• Q: I realize that this has already been discussed earlier, but I can't seem to find the email regarding it, and I really need to know.
  The forthcoming MRP on Come One At A Time...is that MRP in affect now, or do we wait for it in Gold?
  A: There can't be a Most Recent Printing until there's actually a printing.
  HOWEVER, in this particular case, the MRP text was also released, early, as errata, and errata takes effect as soon as it's issued (more or less). Jeff Alexander, "Rulings for 11 Jan 2001", 13 Jan 2001
• Q: Attacking Player has two units
  Defending Player has one unit
  Defending Player plays Come One At A Time,
  Can the attacking player use A Test Of Courage to cancel the terrain, because he is stopping the "Go home" effect of COOAT?
  A: You can play ToC in response to sending one of your units out of the battle, but that won't cancel the whole terrain, just the action that's sending your guy home. You also can't play ToC when the terrain is played, because there's nothing valid to play it in response to...yet. Vaughn Derderian, "Rules for", 12 Jan 2001
• Q: I have COaaT in play, my opponent removes the ability, (with Victory Through Deference) give by COaaT to my personality.
  If I move my personality out of the battle and then back in, does COaaT reapply the trait?
  If I move another personality in, does it apply the trait to them?
  If COaaT reapplies the ability in the first example, can VTD actually remove it at all, as the trait is constantly being reapplied?
  A: See Effects, Continuous: Finally, non-triggered traits like “Your Samurai have +1F” have continuous effects that apply while the card is in play and all conditions on the trait, if any, are met (see Traits, previous section). If a continuous effect ceases to apply, then is reapplied, it is a new effect; for example, a Force bonus that was negated by an ongoing effect will reassert itself.
  The trait on Come One at a Time is a continuous trait, granting an ability to a sole defender. This ability may be removed by Victory Through Deference, and while he remains as the sole defender at the battlefield, he does not get it back.
  If the conditions granting the ability become false - either because he leaves the battlefield, or because another defender joins him - the effect granting the ability ends.
  If the conditions granting the ability then become true again - that is, there is once more a solitary defender, which could be the original one or a new one - a new effect begins granting a new copy of the ability, unaffected by Victory Through Deference. Alex Jones, "VTD and Come One at a Time.", 13 May 2015
• Q: A New Alliance Invest : Draw a card. (Increase the Gold Cost by the Invest cost to get the effect, once.) Political Open: The abilities on two target Dynasty or Fate cards (in play) cannot be used.
  Come One at a Time While there is exactly one defending Personality here, he has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Challenge a target enemy Personality. Destroy the loser" and each player has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Move home your target attacking Personality. Bow him as he moves." Battle: Destroy a Terrain (if able). Put this Terrain into play. Take an additional action granted by it.
  Does new alliance prevent the use of created abilities, even those created after its use?
  A: A New Alliance only affects abilities that are on the card at the time it (ie, A New Alliance) is played. Alex Jones, "A new alliance + created abilities (ie come one at a time )", 13 Feb 2015
• Q: Did a search and didn't find too much other than targeting. I have a battle with 2 tacticians and my opponent as his first battle actions drops Come one at a Time and wants to duel one of my guys. Can i react with The Sun Returns to negate the playing or effects of the terrain or would i just cancel the effects of the 1st duel off the terrain? If the battle action on terrain is negated does the card remain in play?
  Come one at a Time: While there is exactly one defending Personality here, he has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Challenge a target enemy Personality. Destroy the loser" and each player has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Move home your target attacking Personality. Bow him as he moves." Battle: Destroy a Terrain (if able). Put this Terrain into play. Take an additional action granted by it.
  The Sun Returns: Bow your target unbowed Tactician. Negate the effects of a Battle or Engage action.
  A: You can choose to Interrupt either the playing of the terrain, or the challenge action taken.
  If you do the former, the terrain never enters play. If you do the latter, that challenge is negated, but the terrain remains in play and can be used for its actions. Jon Palmer, "The Sun Returns Versus Terrains/Come One at a Time", 13 May 2014
• Q: Come One at a Time states:
  While there is exactly one defending Personality here, he has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Challenge a target enemy Personality. Destroy the loser" and each player has the ability, "Repeatable Battle: Move home your target attacking Personality. Bow him as he moves."
  Playing draft last night, my friend attacked with multiple personalities and i defended with multiple personalities. Seeing the tide of battle turning against him, he played Come one at a Time and attempted to move one of his personalties home.
  His Argument is that the 'While there is exactly one defending personality' applies only to the repeatable duel ability, and that the terrain grants him the ability to run away. My argument is that the 'and' before 'each player' means the player ability to run away is also only available when there is a only single defender.
  Which one of us is right?
  P.S. Apologies if this has been answered before, but searching for Come One at a Time brings back a huge number of results including many threads not about this card at all.
  A: First, regarding the P.S., no problem; we understand there's been lots of talk about this one.
  Secondly, to answer your question, your interpretation is the correct one. Unless there is only one Defender, Come One at a Time does not grant any abilities. Brook Cunningham, "Come One at a Time, and argument over a comma", 30 Apr 2014
• Q: Since this only answered the question for most plausible situations, but not all possible ones I feel compelled to ask.
  Can The Shadowed Estate of the Scorpion prevent The False Nimuro from using Come One at a Time?
  A: Yes, in one of the very few instances where a created card is actually given a title by the effect that created it (The False Nimuro is one of only a handful of such created cards), then it could be named by the Shadowed Estate. Brook Cunningham, "Shadowed Estate of the Scorpion and Created Personalities", 18 Apr 2014
• Q: Dairuko says "After you destroy an enemy card during battle (including resolution), gain 1 Honor."
  1. If I have Dairuko in play and win a Come One at a Time duel against a personality with attachments, do I gain an honor for each card in the unit or just one for the personality?
  Ominous Armor says "Before another player's card destroys this Personality, destroy this Item instead."
  2. Is the armor considered destroyed by itself or by the other player's card (since it's an "destroy instead" rather than "destroy to negate")?
  A: 1. Just one for the Personality. Dairuko specifies that you gain 1 honor for each card you destroyed, and the attachments on the Personality are destroyed by the rulebook when the Personality is destroyed, not by you.
  2. The armor is destroyed by its own trait, not by the other player's action. Jon Palmer, "Akodo Dairuko Exp. 2 and Lethal Duels / Ominous Armor", 5 Mar 2014
• Q: Hi, I have searched the rules forum, and I found this ruling: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=106496&p=1403437&hilit=come+one#p1403437
  But I still have a question: If the attacker plays COaaT and there is more than one defender, can the attacker use the repeatable battle action to send personalities home? I suspect the attacker cannot do this, but the positions of the commas in the card text seem ambiguous. I think the whole point of the card is that you can only run away if you are in danger from the repeatable duel, so the run away should not work if the duel does not work. This issue did not seem clear to me from the previous post. Apologies for the further question.
  A: No, he may not. The "while" clause applies to the rest of the terrain's trait. Jon Palmer, "Come One at a Time", 12 Feb 2014
• Q: In the new wording for Come One at a Time,
  the "while there is only one defending personality" is a clause that unlocks the printed effects to follow, correct?
  That said, if either player plays this card while the defender has more than one personality at the battle, does the additional action fail because it must be one of the actions provided by Come One at a Time?
  A: Correct on both accounts. If the Defender has more than one unit at the battle, he may not take the abilities granted by Come One at a Time, but he can still use it to destroy a terrain, failing to get the additional action. Jon Palmer, "Come One at a Time", 15 Jan 2014
• Q: My appologies if this has been asked and answered before, but I couldn't find it using the search.
  If my opponent with one defender uses the Immediate Terrain, Come One at a Time against me, what happens to all the personalities he challenges if they don't die?
  Come One at a Time
  Immediate Terrain
  Battle: While there is exactly one defending Personality at this battlefield, each player may take the action "Battle: Target an attacking unit you control. Move it home, bowed," and the defending Personality may perform, "Battle: Target an opposing Personality. Issue him an unrefusable challenge." This second action may be taken immediately (if legal). These actions may be used any number of times.
  New Truest Test rules state that duels are no longer fatal - does this hold true for this terrain as well?
  Thanks in advance
  A: viewtopic.php?t=57653 Chris Fuchs, "Come one at a Time + TTT Duel Rules", 29 May 2007
• Q: If I use Sadahige's tactical ability to pick up Come One at a Time, does the terrain still stay in play or, due to Sadahige's wording, go away after I use the dueling action?
  In general, if Sadahige does bring a terrain back into play, does it stay until end of battle (or destroyed via cards like Akodo's Grave)?
  A: Sadahige's ability says to remove the card from the game. You remove it from the game as the last effect of his ability.
  Play the Terrain as its Battle Action. Remove it from the game when it is successfully "played." Then resolve its effect by gaining the opportunity to issue an immediate challenge if there is only one Defender. Martin Lund, "Akodo Sadahige and Come One at a Time", 14 Apr 2005
• Q: Hello.
  "When you play a card that creates a challenge, choose one of your unbowed personality."-DE rulebook.
  "Come One at a Time
  Immediate Terrain. Battle: While there is only one defending Personality, that Personality may, as a Battle action, issue an unrefusable challenge to an opposing Personality....."
  Since taking the action isnt playing a card (Playing" a card is considered "taking an action" in all ways if the card is an Action card. [JA, email, 25 June 2004])
  And the terrain in already in play (so you are not playing it now)
  You can challenge with a bowed personality, since you are not "playing a card that creates a challenge",cant you?
  Greetings.
  A: The challenges from Come One At a Time can only be isued by an unbowed Personality (Diamond rules, pg. 54). Zen Faulkes, "Come one at a time + bowed", 31 Mar 2005
• Q: Can a bowed personality use the duel action on come one at a time?
  A: No. The Terrain gives the Personality the ability, and it does not say "Tireless". Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 3 Aug 2024